Method for making appliance for linear bodies

ABSTRACT

A method of making a helical appliance comprises forming continuous strips of resilient material into continuous helices and cutting the helices at spaced intervals to form helical legs. Other continuous strips are formed into continuous generally sine wave undulations and then cut between undulations to define generally U-shaped bights. A helical leg is then joined to each end of the bight to form the appliance. Other features are disclosed.

United States Patent 1191 Poffenberger 1 1 METHOD FOR MAKING APPLIANCEFOR LINEAR BODIES [75] Inventor: James C. Poffenberger, ClevelandHeights, Ohio [73] Assigncc: Preformed Line Products Company,

Cleveland, Ohio 221 Filed: July 3,1972

21 1 AppL' N().Z 268,627

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 190,351, Oct. 18,1971,

abandoned.

[52] U.S. C1. 29/416, 29/412, 113/116 HH [51] Int. Cl B23p 17/00 [58]Field of Search 29/416, 417, 412; 287/75;

l74/DlG. 12, 79, 173; 248/63, 113/116 W, 116 Y, 116 HH'; 24/123 C, 129B, 131 C; 57/144,145,16l

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,912,816 11/1959 Kitselman57/145 I45] Apr. 2,1974

Finn 57/145 X Williams 24/123 (I FOREIGN PATENTS ()R APPLICATIONS394,169 6/1933 Great Britain 29/4l6 Primary Examiner-Charles W. LanhamAssistant ExaminerV. A. Dipalma Attorney, Agent, or FirmGerald D. Hosicr{57] I ABSTRACT A method of making a helical appliance comprises formingcontinuous strips of resilient material into continuous helices andcutting the helices at spaced intervals to form helical legs. Othercontinuous strips are formed into continuous generally sine waveundulations and then cut between undulations to define generallyU-shaped bights. A helical leg is then joined to each end of the bightto form the appliance. Other features are disclosed.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEU APR 2 I974 FIG? FIGQ

METHOD FOR MAKING APPLIANCE FOR LINEAR BODIES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATION p] This application is a division of application Ser. No.190,351, filed Oct. 18, 1971, now abandoned.

INTRODUCTION The present invention relates generally to appliances forlinear bodies and, more specifically, is directed to a new and improvedmethod for making a helically preformed appliance. The present inventionis of particular utility in the manufacture of devices of the typedisclosed and claimed in the above-identified parent application andaccordingly will be described in that con text.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION It is an objectiveof the present invention toprovide a new and improved method for making helically preformedappliances. The method is particularly suited to manufacture ofappliances wherein the two leg portions are'of an unequal pitch lengthand provides a means for making such appliances on a continuousproduction basis.

The invention is directed to a method of manufacturing helicalappliances of a type comprising a pair of helically preformed legportions and a U-shaped bight I portion joining the leg portions.Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: (l) forming continuousstrips of resilient material into continuous helical strips ofpredetermined internal diameter and pitch length;

appliance bight portions;and integrally joiningone of said helical legsto each end of each of said bight portions to form said helicalappliances.

.BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS The novel features of the presentinvention are set forth with particularity in the appended'clair ns. Theinvention together with further objects and, advantages thereof may bestbe understood, however, by reference to the following description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the several figures ofwhich like reference numerals identify like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of the presentinvention wherein the helical legs are of a like hand of lay;

FIG. 2 illustrates the appliance of FIG. 1 as applied to a cable inproviding a dead-end support therefor;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational" view of a presently preferred constructionof the invention wherein the helical legs are of an opposite hand oflay; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the appliance of FIG. 3 as applied to a cable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, thehelically preformed apiance 10 there illustrated comprises a firstelongated leg portion 11 helically preformed to a first predeterminedpitch length. A second elongated leg portion 12 of the appliance ishelically prefonned to a second predetermined pitch length differentfrom that of the first leg 11. In the present embodiment, the helicalleg 11 is of a pitch length approximately twice that of the helical leg12. The structure is completed by a return bent portion 13 which isintegral with and joins the first and second legs 11 and 12.

As shown, the appliance 10 is composed of a single element in the formof a fiat ribbon or strip of material, such as steel. It will berecognized by those skilled in the art that the device may be fabricatedfrom other materials. It will further be recognized by those skilled inthe art that the various prior art teachings with respect to manufactureof helically preformed appliances may readily be applied toeffect-various modifications of the illustrated appliance l0 and,indeed, such is contemplated by the present invention. For example, aknurling or-grittingrof those surfaces of appliance 10 that are adaptedto engage the cable may be used to effectively enhance the grippingaction of the device, as is disclosed and claimed in Patent3,183,658-Peterson, assigned to the same assignee as the presentinvention. Additionally, by way of example, the appliance 10 may, inlieu of a fiat strip of steel, be comprised of a single plastic rod oran appropriate grouping of rods such as disclosed and claimed in U.S.Pat. No. 2,761,273-

reterson and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the appliance 10 is depicted in assembledrelation with a linear body or cable 15. The illustrated cable 15 is aflexible, two-strand mes senger cable of the so-called' FIG.-8 type. Inapplying the appliance 10 to the cable 15, the longer pitch leg 11' isfirst wrapped in conventional fashion about the cable 15 in tightlyencircling and gripping relation therewith. After the cable has beenlocked into the longer pitcl; leg 11,- the helically preformed leg 12 isnow applied about both cable 15 and the leg 11 in a tightly encirclingrelation in the manner illustrated.

It has been found that a secure frictional gripping of the cable 15 isobtained by the combined action of the two helical legs. Specifically,it has been found that the longer pitch leg 11 is rather easilyinstalled about the non-circular and highly flexible cable 15 to providea body of a relatively uniform and more rigid contour for the helices ofthe leg 12 grip. The short pitch leg 12 also serves to clamp the surfaceof the longer pitch leg 11 in tightly gripping relation with the cable15. The present structure also obviates excessive localized radialpressures that might be encountered with conventional dead-endstructures. I

A modified, and in fact preferred, form of the invention is illustratedin FIG. 3. The embodiment of FIG. 3 is identical to that of FIG. Iexcepting that the helical legs 11 and 12' are of an opposite hand oflay, i.e., the helices spiral in opposite directions. It has been foundfrom actual tests that a greater holding power with a lesser probabilityof damage to the linear body 15 results from the legs being of anopposite pitch as illustrated. As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, theratio of the pitch of the two legs may vary widely according to thecontemplated environment of use. However, the difference in pitchbetween the legs should be such as to assure that the shorter pitch legcrosses over and grips the longer pitch leg several times over thelength of the appliance. The appliance is illustrated as applied to thecable in FIG. 4. The method of installation is again the same as thatpreviously described in connection with the first embodiment.

Manufacture of the disclosed appliances l0 and 10 is facilitated byforming each of the legs and the bight portion separately and thenjoining the three elements by welding, clamping or the like.Specifically, the single element repetitive helical leg structures ofeach appliance are well suited to continuous forming processes, theresultant continuous strips of helical material being cut at periodicintervals to define the individual appliance legs. The appliance bightportions are also well suited for manufacture by continuous formingtechniques. Specifically, a continuous and nominally straight strip ofmaterial is return bent and is then cut at appropriate intervals to formthe appliance bight. lntegral assembly of the three appliance componentsin the manner aforesaid is also easily effected by known automationtechniques.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it is apparent that various changes and modifications maybe made, and it is therefore intended in the following claims to coverall such modifications and changes as may fall within the true spiritand scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A method of manufacturing helical appliances of a type comprising apair of helically preformed leg portions and a U-shaped bight portionjoining said leg portions, comprising the steps of:

forming continuous strips of resilient material into continuous helicalstrips of predetermined internal diameter and pitch length; cutting saidcontinuous helical strips at periodic intervals corresponding to thedesired length of said helical legs; forming continuous strips ofresilient material into continuous generally sine wave type undulations,each individual undulation corresponding to the desired configuration ofthe bight portions of said appliances; cutting said continuousundulating strips between each undulation to define generally U-shapedappliance bight portionsyand integrally joining one of said helical legsto each end of each of said bight portions to form said helicalappliances. 2. The method of claim 1 in which said forming stepcomprises independently forming two continuous strips of resilientmaterial into continuous helical strips of different pitch length, saidcutting step comprises cutting each of said two strips at respectivepreselected intervals to fonn pairs of helical legs of different pitchlength and integrally joining said pairs of helical legs to respectivebight portions to form helical appliances having leg portions ofdifferent pitch lengths.

1. A method of manufacturing helical appliances of a type comprising apair of helically preformed leg portions and a Ushaped bight portionjoining said leg portions, comprising the steps of: forming continuousstrips of resilient material into continuous helical strips ofpredetermined internal diameter and pitch length; cutting saidcontinuous helical strips at periodic intervals corresponding to thedesired length of said helical legs; forming continuous strips ofresilient material into continuous generally sine wave type undulations,each individual undulation corresponding to the desired configuration ofthe bight portions of said appliances; cutting said continuousundulating strips between each undulation to define generally U-shapedappliance bight portions; and integrally joining one of said helicallegs to each end of each of said bight portions to form said helicalappliances.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which said forming stepcomprises independently forming two continuous strips of resilientmaterial into continuous helical strips of different pitch length, saidcutting step comprises cutting each of said two strips at respectivepreselected intervals to form pairs of helical legs of different pitchlength and integrally joining said pairs of helical legs to respectivebight portions to form helical appliances having leg portions ofdifferent pitch lengths.